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Are You Still Idling Your Car on Cold Mornings? Don’t Believe the Myth.

For many, winter mornings begin by letting the car warm up while they finish breakfast. While this time does allow for the cab to get toasty warm, are you aware that there is no actual need for that idling? In fact, unnecessary idling could be hurting your health and wallet.

Before the 1980’s, idling was a necessary practice for American drivers. Back then, carburetors needed time to warm up in order to get the right mix of fuel and air to start. However, automakers began swapping carburetors for fuel injector systems in the ’80’s. Modern fuel injector systems regulate the air to fuel ratio using oxygen sensors. The 1990 Subaru Justy was the last car sold with a carburetor. If you’re driving a post-1990 model car, your vehicle is ready to drive in just 30 seconds.

Here are some additional reasons you may want to give up idling for good:

A car idling for five minutes can increase fuel consumption by 7 to 14 percent, wasting gas and money.